Lee's Daylily Potpourri

Monday, October 16, 2017

25" EM Sev Re 6” - 3-way branching 16+ buds We are proud to name this flower for a special friend in Illinois. A bright spot in the garden, yellow has always been one of my favorite colors. This yellow is brushed with peach. The petals are heavily ruffled and crimped, The petals are nicely sculpted leading to a small green heart. The substance is like thick cardboard. Pod and pollen fertile.

Named for a good friend and member of TVDS, this flower has the heaviest substance we have ever seen. Yellow with a peach blush, the petals are heavily crimped and ruffled. The yellow throat leads to a small green heart. Heat and rain do not touch this one. Pod and pollen fertile. Will occasionally hang up.

A good clear purple with a halo of light purple. The ruffled petals have a wire edge of white outside of a darker purple edge. The small throat is yellow to lime green. The substance is good, holding up well. Does not spot in the rain. Pod and pollen fertile.

A flower of cherry red with a white watermark outlining a yellow to green throat. The lightly ruffled and pinched petals have a wire edge of white. The substance is good and holds well. It is finished with a green heart. Pod and pollen fertile.

Seedling No. 3063 [Cimarron Rose X (Doug's Caress X Camelot Red)]

H. ‘Lee’s Heart Breaker’................................d/f...$100.00

26" EM SEv Re 5½" - 4-way branching 19 buds.

A great deep red with a white watermark that surrounds a great green throat. The petals are lightly ruffled and crimped and are edged with a wire of white. The substance is excellent. Could use a little afternoon shade. Both pod and pollen fertile.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Bloom time has arrived in the greenhouse 2/28/2017. Most of the hybridizing plants this year were first bloom seedlings in 2016 and are the seedlings that were selected to watch as future introductions. When selected, they were repotted from 1 gallon pots to 3 gallon pots. They will be used in hybridizing this year and in the fall will be planted outside in the seedling display beds to see how they do outside.

This is seedling 6003. The picture of this bud was taken on 2/27/17 and is ready to bloom on 2/28/17. Please note the scape and buds.

On 2/28/17 Seedling 6003 bloomed. This is a second year selected seedling. The cross is [Velvet Throne X (Marines' Hymn X Barbara Mandrel)]) It has great form, really well saturated color, olive green throat, rose watermark and a white edge on the ruffled petals and sepals.

This is a bud picture was taken on Seedling 6064 on 2/25/17 about ready to bloom. This second year selected seedling has a decent scape and bud count.

This is the bloom on Seedling 6064 [Velvet Throne X (Stolen Heart X Barbara Mandrell)] taken on 2/28/17. It has well saturated color and a heavy substance. The petals are very ruffled with a white pencil edge.

After using these seedlings in the greenhouse this year for hybridizing, the will go outside this fall into the seedling display beds to watch for possible introduction.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

For the last couple of weeks I have been carrying the
potted hybridizing plants into the greenhouse. These
potted plants are mostly the selected plants from the crop
of 2016 seedlings. I do have a few named plants I also
bring in to use with some of the seedlings.

When I
bring them in, they are cleaned, trimmed and then
Milorganite, a pre-emergent (yes, I do get weeds in the pots inside), Bayer Tree and Shrub, and
Epsom Salts are added. About once a week, they are misted
with Miracle Grow 16-6-8. As you can see, they have
started to grow already.

If you
want to see some of the seedlings I will be using, go to
our website at www.chattanoogadaylilies.com and click on
the seedling page. This is what keeps me moving and
saying, "Life is very, very good".

On the
far left are this years seedlings and on the far right are
a few seedlings that I held over from last year that have
not bloomed as yet.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

I believe I read somewhere that someone was asking about using and storing frozen pollen. There are probably as many ways of using and storing pollen as there are hybridizers. Some use match boxes, some use little plastic vials, etc. This is how I do it and have found that it is a very simple process, at my age, I need simple.

These pictures are quite old as you can tell by the cultivar name.

This is the grand prize, the anther with viable pollen. If your pollen is of a white color or looks like corn rowed hair and is hard, chances are that it is not viable.

I remove the stamen with anther attached from the blossom and remove the anther (pollen) using my thumb and forefinger. You must remember, when you change cultivars, you must clean your fingers so to not contaminate the next pollen.

I place each cultivar's pollen in a compartment of an egg carton being careful when transferring to not contaminate the next compartment. I then take the egg carton into the house and place it under a cieling fan for a couple hours to let it dry.

This is the pill box that I use for bulk storage. These pictures are quite old as you can tell from the cultivar names. I tag the lid of each compartment with the cultivar name or seedling number. This bulk storage then goes into a plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator freezer compartment. This is known as the weekly pill box. 4 compartments per row, 7 rows.

This is the pill box that I use for my daily hybridizing. The box is removed from the freezer and warmed for approximately 30 minutes. I will remove anthers from the bulk storage that I want to use and place in this smaller pill box. The bulk storage then goes back into the zip lock bag and into the freezer. The working pill box, when not in use also goes into a zip lock bag and is stored in the freezer. I will take it out approximatel 30 minutes before I want to use it. I have used pollen from this box for up to a week and still have viability. The bulk storage has been carried over 3 to 4 years and still had viablility. Just remember to keep frozen when not in use.

When handling pollen, I use reverse tweezers. When you squeeze them they open, and when you let go they close.

The best thing to know is that you can freeze pollen for future use. Then you can find the way that works best for you to store and use this pollen. JUST KEEP IT DRY.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

It is no secret, if I could not hybridize, I would not "do" daylilies. Just to see a bunch of flowers in an outside garden is not enough for me. I want to see those first bloom seedlings that blow you away. It is worth getting up in the morning just to see what is new.

To that end, I have started the 2016 blooming seedlings in the greenhouse, planting the seeds in September, transpotting to trade 1 gallon pots in October.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

In 2015 we did not offer any new introductions because of health problems. So this year we have nine new introductions for your consideration, all are tetraploids, and most are limited. This is the most exciting collection we have ever offered. We always grow a few of our introductions in the greenhouse during the winter for those wanting their plants early. Many of our cultivars do well in the north, growing in Iowa, Minnesota, Maine and Nebraska, among other states.
These, without a doubt, are our best and most diverse creations we have offered. We are very proud to offer these cultivars.

﻿

H. 'Jaimie Pickles'

Double Fan $150.00

28" M EMO SEv 6¼" - 3¼" - 2¼". 5-way branching 24/30 buds.

Named for our son, 'Jaimie Pickles' is the color of a fine aged Cabernet with a white edge and light red watermark surrounding a great green throat. Substance holds up well in the rain and sun. The blossoms are carried high above the foliage on strong straight well branched and budded scapes. JP is a great showpiece. Both pod and pollen fertile. One of my most used parents in 2015. It is always said that yellow is the color that carries in the garden but you can see this one from clear across the street. A great show flower.

Seedling No. 2118 (Juanita Manley X Cimarron Rose)

H. 'Nicole Pickles'

Double Fan $150.00

26" E SEv Re 5½" - 2¾" - 1¾". 3-way branching 15 buds.

We are pleased to name this daylily for our daughter-in-law. With the naming of Nicole, this completes the whole family with the naming of H. 'Benjamin', our first grandson in 1998, and H. 'Max Pickles', our second grandson in 2006. The form is impeccably round and full. The color of cherry red is clear and clean with a wire edge of white and halo of light cherry. The scapes are strong and carry the flowers above the arching foliage. Both pod and pollen fertile and used heavily in our hybridizing program in 2015.

Seedling No. 2009 (Juanita Manley X Cimarron Rose)

H. 'Stolen Heart'

Double Fan $150.00

28" E SEv 5½" - 2¾" -1¼" 3-4 way branching 18-22 buds.

Long anticipated by several, H. 'Stolen Heart' is one of our best hybridizing plants. Highly sought after, this picture was much admired at the 2015 MWS. The color is a rich, vibrant red with a wire edge of white and a pink halo surrounding the olive green throat. Blooms are multiple and held well above the foliage. Holds up well to the rain and sun. Pod and pollen fertile, and a powerful, powerful parent. Used heavily for hybridizing from 2013 through 2015. Will jump your red program forward. Very limited. Almost Sold Out!

Seedling No. 1004 (Doug’s Caress X Camelot Red)

H. 'Marines' Hymn'

Double Fan $150.00

28" E SEv Re 5½" - 2½" - 1½". 4-way branching 19 buds.

This name was chosen prior to the killing of 4 Marines and 1 Navy service personnel in Chattanooga. It is our honor to offer this daylily. One of the most powerful parents that I have, producing clear, clean dark red, full formed blossoms. The form is triangular in shape and the color is a dark burgundy red with a white wire edge and lighter burgundy halo. The throat is lemon to green. It passes the branching on to its kids. Will give you a jump in your red program. Seedling No. 2042 [Rockets Bursting in Air X (Camelot Red X Doug’s Caress)]

H. 'Christmas Memories'

Double Fan $150.00

28" E SEv Re 5¾ - 3" - 2" 3-way branching 18 buds.

This is a full formed, round blossom that is carried well above the foliage. The color is a deep clear red with a gold/white edge. A lighter halo circles the bright green throat. The substance is very heavy and holds well in the rain. I am just beginning to see the kids from using it in my hybridizing program and it is producing the round, full form. Pod and pollen fertile. The pod parent is a seedling I acquired from Bill Waldrop.

We selected this to name for Jean’s brother. One of the showiest flowers in the garden, it is a bright cherry red with a white wire edge and white midribs that add distinction to the blossom. The white watermark surrounds a lemon to green throat. The blossoms are carried high above the foliage on strong well branched scapes. From two of my favorite red parents, H. Cimarron Rose' (Salter 2005) and H. 'Barbara Mandrell' (Kirchhoff 2009). Pod and pollen fertile. Seedling No. 2034 (Cimarron Rose X Barbara Mandrell)

H. 'Lee's Blue Lagoon'

Double Fan $100.00

32" M SEv 5½" - 2¼" - 1¼". 3-way branching 17 buds.

A medium purple flower with a light blue watermark which radiates out around the petal edges. The well branched scapes and blossoms are carried high above the arching foliage on sturdy scapes. Very fertile pod and pollen and had many pods set on it this year with H. 'Mikayla Belle' pictured below. Begins blooming and continues when most other colors have finished. Seedling No. 2065 (Bluegrass Memories X Desire of Nations)

H. 'Mikayla Belle'

Double Fan $100.00

31" M SEv Re 5½" - 2½" - 1¼". 3-way branching 16 buds.

Wilma Robert of South Dakota won the right to name this cultivar at the Region 1 auction. She chose to name it for her only granddaughter. A clear medium purple flower with a slate blue watermark which continues around the petal and sepal edges. The form is exquisitely round and full. The blossoms are carried high above the arching foliage which makes a very showy clump. Flowering begins when many others have finished. Both very pod and pollen fertile. Seedling No. 2081 (Bluegrass Memories X Desire of Nations)

H. 'Bluebird of Happiness'

Double Fan $100.00

31" M EMO SEv 5½" - 2¼" - 2¼". 3-way branching 16 buds.

A soft purple blossom with a wire thin white petal edge highlighted by a darker purple edge. The lavender/blue watermark is highlighted by a darker purple pattern. The flower is open and shows very well. A very showy clump with blossoms forming over the top like a flutter of butterflies. H. 'Desire of Nations (Emmerich 2008) and H. Bluegrass Memories (Preuss 2006) are two of my favorite parents, and like its parents, blooms later in the season. Pod and Pollen fertile. Seedling No. 2071 (Desire of Nations X Bluegrass Memories)

Monday, July 13, 2015

When I began hybridizing in 1986, I had no goals nor any idea where I was going. More importantly, I had no idea what I was doing. I worked with both diploids and tetraploids of all colors. I eventually settled toward tetraploids mostly in the yellow range. I followed this for several years with my program almost entirely to the yellow range. When we moved to our current location in 1993, I was able to erect a greenhouse to further my hybridizing program. I was still into yellows, Bob Carr's H. 'Wonder of it All' was my all time favorite. I remember one year I had 165 pods set on several pots of WOIA. How ridiculous was that?

I have acquired several reds over the last few years, and the following are four of my favorites, in no particular order. Of course, these are in addition to my new reds. Please remember, I probably select these four because I have used them extensively in my hybridizing. H. 'Camelot Red' (Salter 2011) In the fall of 2009, Jeff and Elizabeth Salter stopped overnight for a visit and brought a seedling they just called "Red" and "guested" it with me. In the spring of 2010, this seedling bloomed and just blew me away and changed my whole hybridizing program. This red was eventually named H. 'Camelot Red' and this is where it all began. Now my hybridizing program is almost entirely to the red side with a few purples thrown in for a little variety.

H. 'Camelot Red' (Salter 2010) Picture courtesy Jeff Salter

'H 'Home of the Free' (Grace 2012). I saw this as a seedling in the garden of Bill Waldrop and was completely taken. I called Larry to see if I could purchase a piece and since it was under seedling number, he would not sell it top me but would "guest" me a fan. I believe this was in 2010, I think a couple years before it was registered and introduced. This is a very saturated clear red with a gold edge and heavy, heavy substance. Used extensively in my hybridizing program.

H. 'Home of the Free'

(Grace 2012)

H. 'Barbara Mandrell' (Kirchhoff 2009). How could you mention reds without including this outstanding red from David. It has outstanding color, the form is exquisite and the color is well saturated. The watermark and green throat really finish off the flower. David kindly gave me a couple fans and in return, he has some of my red seedlings. Have used it extensively in my hybridizing program.

H. 'Barbara Mandrell'

(Kirchhoff 2009)

H. 'Doug's Caress' (Holley-S 2009) This is another cultivar that I came by accidentally. I had placed an order with Gold Coast Daylilies and was sent DC as a bonus. I don't even remember which plants I ordered, nor do I still have them, but I do remember DC and still have it. A beautifully round and full flower with plenty of substance and saturated color. This is accentuated by a large watermark and a brilliant green throat.

H. 'Doug's Caress'

(Holley-S 2009)

I know there are other good reds out there: Bill Waldrop's H. 'Blazing Canons' (2012) with one of the parents being H. 'Home of the Free' above. Larry Grace's H. 'The Ultimate Sacrifice' (2013), both of the above have great color and form. Then there are Ted Petit's H. 'Velvet Throne' (2009) and H. 'Scarlet Angel' (2010), both having that saturated dark velvet red color.

Lee and Jean

About Us

Lee and Jean were born and raised in Iowa. They met in 1954 and were married in 1957. Both attended the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) and graduated in 1962. Both accepted teaching jobs in Council Bluffs, IA where they lived until moving to Tennessee in 1974. Lee retired as an administrator in the Dean's office at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Jean retired from the classroom in 1999. They have two children, two grandchildren and currently live in Hixson, TN with their two dogs, Sara Jessie, a yellow lab, Spikey, a rescued mixed breed, and a Snow Shoe Siamese cat, Shiloh.